Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain has questioned Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s ability to match his seven Ballon d’Or victories.
Messi won the 2021 Ballon d’ Or for a record seventh time on Monday night, defeating Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea’s Jorginho.
Ronaldo, Messi’s constant opponent and five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, finished sixth this year.
The Argentine captain, who has competed with Ronaldo throughout his career, now believes that no one can ever match his incredible seven Ballon d’Or awards.
“I don’t know if the record [seven Ballon d’ Or awards] is beatable,” Messi said during a post-ceremony press conference.
“I just have to accept it, but I am not sure if it can be beaten. Seven is really impressive.”
Meanwhile, Guillem Balague, a Spanish football specialist, concurred with Messi, claiming that no footballer has ever surpassed the former Barcelona captain in terms of Ballon d’Or medals earned.
“I don’t think so,” Balague said when asked if Ronaldo could now catch Messi.
